to be stressing over a pram?

[Geraldeen]

Looking for a travel system to fit in the tiny boot of my car. I'm not able to sell it as it belongs to a family member, I just use it and cannot afford a car of my own.

Because the boot is so small, there are only a handful of prams that fit in there. I'm looking at the mothercare orb all-terrain... was thinking about the babyzen yoyo but it's much too flimsy... it's so frustrating being so limited.

How important is it to have the perfect pram? Would I be mad just getting one that doesn't fit in my car? I know many parents don't drive. DP has a car but it is a company car so I don't have the option to drive it, however it is a big car so we can go out when he is here.

I'm just so lost. Too many prams. Don't want to buy something rubbish. Help!

Have you looked at m&p ocara?

This thread has confused me 🙈 some love the orb travel system, some think it's a waste of money, some love other travel systems, some hate them... it's a bloody minefield!

They’re not in infant car seats or carrycots for very long which is why people say travel systems are a waste. Most people end up switching to an umbrella style pushchair after the first year because they’re so much less bulky.

The bugaboo bee is absolutely tiny and I’ve also seen a few people pushing the doona Pram around which does make me chuckle a little, it looks like a dolls Pram! Both would fit in your boot easily though.

Mamas and Papas armadillo flip bassinet and chassis fitted in the boot of our Nissan micra.

Still use it daily age 2.4 (not with the bassinet obvs.) much easier to push and more comfortable to nap in than the 2 cheapy pushchairs we’ve bought for holidays/dgms house.

Folds small enough to go under tables at restaurants and to not have to get off the bus if someone in a wheelchair gets on.

@Mousefunky this is what I hated about the yo-yo. It's so low down and looks like a baby pram. I felt silly pushing it and got stuck on grass. To me it felt like it was going to fall apart compared to some of the bigger prams.

I had the silver cross surf for 7 years and 3 dc and it was fantastic and is still in good condition and I have passed it on. The elements of it I found were really light and you could fold it with one hand. the chassis would fit in a really small space because you could separate the wheels from it with a little button and stack them in the corner, I couldn't recommend it enough.

My only advice would be that I found a carrycot section of the pram/travel system a god send when they were tiny as they could stay asleep in it after a stroll and I used it instead of a Moses basket at night (taken off the pram) whereas with my 1st I just had a buggy with a car seat you could clip on which was only ok for short trips .
As others have said after first few months you won't use the carrycot much though so it's a big expense for a short time.

I second the pp who said out and about single pushchair is fab. Can steer with one hand, all terrain, folds really flat and easily. Only downside I felt is that you can't see baby. But, you'd get your rural need sorted and car storage sorted. I used that and a wrap.

I have a small car with a small boot, I had a Cossato 2 giggle..Which fitted..I took out the parcel shelf and just put it in on its side with the seat either behind it or infront of it..Is that possible?

Have a look at the Jane stuff.

I had a Jane Epic (chassis + pushchair seat) and Matrix.

The Matrix bit is a lie flat car seat and pram in one, and is segmented so it can move to a sitting up car seat. Quite heavy to lift but fine to push.

You can get different types of chassis depending on what you need. I wanted something that can handle tough ground but not too heavy and is perfect. Folds up pretty small and you can take the wheels off etc if needed.

Oh, forgot to add that I have an Orb as a spare at my parents’ place and hate it!

I have a silvercross reflex with the added newborn attachment. It's an umbrella fold stroller and also folds same way when the newborn carry cot is attached.
They have them in mothercare, you could ask to fold it and see if it fits in your boot.

How many people will be in the car?

I’ll go against the majority and say I loved my travel system! We have the icandy peach and whilst we don’t live in the middle of nowhere we are kind of just outside the main town and in the edge of countryside territory. Having the choice of either leaving DS asleep in his car seat for quickly pooping around the shops without faffing and getting him into a sling (I wish he’d have liked slings but he HATED being carried). We got good use out of the carrycot top for country walks, kept him nice and warm in winter being shielded from the wind. And now he’s old enough we use the ‘regular’ pram seat. We never took the carrycot in car so didn’t worry that it was big. We love the icandy as the base folds in half and can be stood upright or led flat so fits in so many spaces/small car boots. It’s super sturdy and handles fields and bumpy tracks so well.
The only thing I would consider as pp have suggested is buying second hand. We spent a small fortune on car seat/travel set because it was our PFB, but looking back I was a bit unecessary I guess.

We are looking at a Yoyo as a second pushchair now as we are about to travel a few times a year and the icandy is prob to big to be taking on transport/planes regularly.

Mamas and papas armadillo. We got the sola and although I loved it we eventually just traded it back (they take them back as trade in once you’re finished) for a mamas and papas voucher and got a new stroller. We got £100 for our sola and got a stroller instead when she was 2. The stroller will lay her 2-3 so we effectively got two new pranks for paying for one. Can you not do this? The armadillo will do everything you want, folds tiny and when you’re finished you’ll get around £100 ish back to get something else

You could try an ickle bubba aurora just for car trips. It’s much cheaper than the yoyo and would probably leave you some money for an off roader to use from home / in Dh’s car.

Or look at the maxi cosi Stella - it’s a compact off roader (got my eye on it as could leave it up in the hall) but doesn’t actually fold that small. Worth a look though!

I have a VW Up
I use a mamas & papas zoom x

I have an oyster 2 which fits in my suzuki swift's ridiculously tiny boot (with room for a bag of shopping!). Seat and chassis folded separately. We tried the joie chrome but it was just too big. I think one of the candy range may have fitted too.

I like the oyster. It's simple to set up and collapse and nice to push. We got ours second hand and it's been great. Seems really comfortable for dc too

Op I have the yo-yo and I LOVE IT. Best piece of kit so far.

@Geraldeen Three kids in and nearly £6000 down, I can hand on heart say chose the lightest easiest to fold away travel system

I’ve bought Prams (all in the name of fashion) that ..

Trapped my fingers when I folded it

Weighed a fucking ton (but could be pushed over snow/sand

Hand to take both wheels off for it to fit in the boot

Take pram down to three pieces (seat on back seat of car) for it to fit.

I found one for dd3 that I folds away and put in to the back of the boot with one hand still holding dd3 in the other arm.

Honestly go for functionality and easy rather than one that looks the dogs bollocks as when it’s pissing down, your baby is screaming it’s head off and you have no one to help you - you will kick yourself for getting a twatty pram!

Look at the Phil and Teds Mod- it’s what I’d get if I had my time again. It looks like a nice middle ground between a buggy and a travel system.

Bugaboo bee 5. Folds compact, big sun canopy, flat recline (better for sleeping babies)

Also, the yoyo isn’t that flimsy in use. I’ve used it on a lazy 3 year old when my baby was being carried.
It’s strong enough to fit a 5 year olds weight. My 5 year old has tested this

Also, it’s so light. Can sling it on your shoulder whilst holding baby.

Your boot looks bigger than mine, we've bought the cosatto wow travel system, it fits easily, but if you want to check Mothercare will let you (we bought ours online as we got a desk on a fabric design Mothercare didn't sell)

We didn't buy ours from this website either but the picture shows the components. It has a car seat (isofix if you want) that goes straight on the chassis, carry cot and push chair bit, they all go outward or parent facing, we got the cosy toes with ours too, I can lift it one handed into my boot and I'm not strong, olds up and down in seconds, it fits in my tiny boot without taking it apart , the steering is light and agile, it comes in about half a dozen designs, also has a four year manufacturer guarantee. It's not hugely expensive either. I researched for ages 🙈

Out n about 360 nipper. All wheels come off and folds down dead flat. Its compatible with the maxicosy baby seat afaik.